While most students were taking the opportunity to relax and unwind during the recent holiday break, a group of talented and aspiring youths were working hard and sweating it out at an intensive 4 days 3 nights training camp in preparation for a musical to be performed at the upcoming Perhimpunan Belia 2010.

The Make A Difference (M.A.D) musical, the first of its kind to be staged in Kuching is co-produced by Limkokwing and Perunding Majujaya. It will be staged on July 23, 2010 in conjunction with the Perhimpunan Belia 2010 organized by Kementerian Pembangunan Sosial dan Urbanisasi (KPSU).

The musical’s cast made up of 25 vibrant and aspiring youths is themed around the life of an inspiring individual who has contributed greatly towards the social development of Sarawak. The young individuals that make up the cast of Make A Difference are a mixture of both local and international students from schools all around Kuching, including Limkokwing Borneo students. They were selected from a pool of 200 youth that came for auditions held at Limkokwing Borneo.

The intensive training camp held in Pueh Youth Camp in Lundu was organized to enable the cast to concentrate fully on the musical and as planned, by the end of the training, the cast were able to get to know each other better as well as work on the intricacies of the musical. This goes to show that these youths are determined to show the world that they can make a difference and set an example for other youths. 

“We have been given such an amazing opportunity to just come together and rehearse from day to night without distractions from the hustle and bustle of the city. This training camp has certainly helped every single one of us to focus on the musical”, explains Nurul Hazwani, a Limkokwing Foundation in Design student.

In between rigorous rehearsals and the Pueh Youth Camp being a nature reserve, the production team made sure that the cast had time to indulge and appreciate nature. They explored trails and spent time at the beach after completing their early morning jogs on the pristine Sematan beach everyday.

“Being an international student I feel very honoured in being able to contribute to the state of Sarawak by taking part in this musical and it is an awesome experience. I know many out there who would love to be in my shoes at this moment!’ exclaims Barnaby Joel Toh, an international student from the United Kingdom currently studying Mass Communication at Limkokwing Borneo. 

Orlnda Nathan-Yeo, scriptwriter and director of the musical, feels that the cast is made up of gifted youths intent on making a difference not only for themselves but for the community as well.

“We have seen them slowly evolving from normal kids to confident individuals while undergoing the intensive training camp. It is gratifying knowing that we are giving our own youths a chance to channel their abilities through a proper medium”, says Orlnda.

Nikki Lugun, Director of Corporate Development at Limkokwing Borneo, who is also the musical’s producer, staging the musical is an ideal platform to bring together talented and aspiring youth to unleash their creativity. “Limkokwing is synonymous with creativity and students are encouraged to actively participate in competitions, exhibitions and other events such as fashion shows and music events,” she says. “Limkokwing believes that the youths today need to have the relevant platforms that will showcase their creativity and allow them to fully express themselves.”

Limkowking, as one of the partners of Perhimpunan Belia, will be contributing in many ways towards the event to be launched by the Chief Minister of Sarawak. Apart from the musical, other activities include a Flash Mob Dance and an exhibition of paintings by Limkokwing lecturers Petrus Alfred Paul and Emmanuel Osakue “Cultural Crossroads”. 

The Perhimpunan Belia 2010 event running for three days beginning July 23 to 25 will gather over 5,000 youths, has also promised a line-up of distinguished speakers who will be sharing their personal insights and knowledge with the youths to motivate and empower them to become leaders of tomorrow.